Paruppu Masiyal / Dal Fry

Chettinad Dal Recipes

Ingredients
Toor dal / Thuvaram paruppu - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 and 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves crushed - 2 nos
Curry leaves - few
Red chilli broken - 2 nos
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafetida - pinch
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Paruppu Masiyal

Method
1. Wash the toor dal, pressure cook with 1 cup water and turmeric until tender for 12 mins.
2. When the dal is cooked mash it with dal masher or potato masher, add required salt and if required dilute with some more water.
3. Heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard seeds and allow to crackle.
4. Next add crushed garlic, broken red chill, curry leaves and asafetida to the pan.
5. Immediately transfer this tempering to the mashed dal, mix well.
Serve hot with
Potato fry
Kuzhambu etc.

Chettinad Meal maker Puttu / Soya chunks Puttu

My granny makes this Puttu with minced mutton( goat meat). I prepare the same recipe with soya chunks( meal maker) so we could relish this sidedish during fasting days or the days when we don't eat non-veg.

Meal maker Puttu

Ingredients
Soya chunks / Meal maker chunks - 20 nos
Onion medium chopped - 1 no
Curry leaves chopped - few
Green chilli broken into half - 2 nos
Oil - 4 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Masala to grind
Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
Cinnamon stick - 1"
Cardamom - 1 no
Cloves - 2 nos
Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Soya Chunks Puttu

Method
1. Soak soya chunks in boiling salted water and let it stand for 2 mins.
2. Drain soya chunks, squeeze excess water. Mince soya chunks finely with knife or run it once in mixer grinder( do not grind more than 2 seconds as they may become paste).
3. Grind the masala given under "masala to grind" to smooth paste adding a tsp water.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add fennel seeds, chopped onion, green chilli and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute.
5. Add ground masala paste, required salt to the pan and stir fry on low heat for few mins.
6. Add minced soya chunks to the pan and stir fry well until the masala is well mixed to soya mince.
7. Keep stirring constantly so it doesn't burn and fry until dry.
Serve hot with
Steamed rice
Vengaya sambar
Rasam etc.

Chefs tips
1. If soya granules are available use instead of soya chunks.
2. If preferred add 2 beaten eggs whisked with salt and pepper at the end when the soya chunks is dry n cooked and stir fry until eggs are scrambled.

Muttaikose Poriyal / Cabbage Poriyal

Muttaikose Poriyal

Ingredients
Cabbage chopped - 500 gms
Onion small chopped - 1 no( optional)
Green chilli broken into half - 2 to 3 nos
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Water required
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Cabbage Poriyal

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan when hot add mustard seeds, when splutters add urad dal and fry till browned.
2. Add chopped onion, cabbage, green chilli and curry leaves to the pan, stir fry for a minute.
3. Add 1/4 cup water and required salt to the cabbage. Sauté for min.
4. Cover the pan, simmer on low heat and cook cabbage until tender.
5. Once cabbage is cooked, remove pan lid, add grated coconut to cabbage and stir fry until dry.
Serve hot with
Steamed rice
Vatha Kuzhambu etc

Eral Kuzhambu / Chettinad Prawn Tamarind Curry

Chettinad Eral Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Prawn - 250 gms
Shallots - 20 nos or Onion - 1 no
Tomato - 1 no
Garlic cloves - 4 no
Curry leaves - few
Red chilly powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Gingely oil - 4 tbsp
Tamarind extract - 1/4 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Prawn Kuzhambu

Method
1. Peel the prawns, devein and clean.
2. Coarsely chop shallots, garlic, curry leaves and tomatoes.
3. Heat oil in kadai, add chopped onion, curry leaves and garlic, sauté for 2 mins.
4. Add cleaned prawns to the kadai and stir fry for a minute.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and pepper powder to the kadai and stir fry on low heat until tomatoes are cooked.
6. Next add tamarind extract, required salt and cup of water to kadai.
7. Bring the gravy to boil and simmer covered for 5 to 6 mins until the gravy thickens and oil floats on top of curry.
Serve hot Eral Kuzhambu with
Steamed rice
Fish fry etc.

Chettinad Prawn Curry

Chettinad Kosumalli - Brinjal gravy sidedish for Idli or Dosa.

Chettinad Kosumalli

Chettinad Kosumalli is a light watery Brinjal based sidedish for Idli, Dosa. It's very similar to Chidambaram Gothsu.

Ingredients
Small purple Brinjal - 8 nos
Potato - 1 no( optional)
Onion small sized( sliced) - 1 no
Tomato small sized( chopped)- 1 no
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped - handful
Water required
Salt to taste

For tempering
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilli - 2 nos
Green chilli - 2 nos
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 3 tbsp

Chettinad Brinjal Gravy

Method
1. Peel potato and chop it, remove brinjal stem and chop it finely.
2. In a pressure pan or cooker, add chopped potato, chopped Brinjal, sliced onion, chopped tomato, tamarind paste and 1/2 cup water.
3. Pressure cook for 10 mins until brinjal and potato mixture becomes mushy.
4. Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add urad dal, green chilli, red chilli and curry leaves, fry for minute and add this to the brinjal mixture.
5. Loosen the brinjal mixture by adding required water and season with salt.
6. Bring the gravy to boil and remove from heat.
7. Finally add coriander leaves, stir well and serve with Idli and Dosa.

Chef's tips
1. I had given more easier and simpler version of making Kosumalli, my granny used to pressure cook potato and brinjal, remove its skin and then mash both and add it to gravy, you can follow this traditional method if you have time and patience.
2. Kosumalli is usually watery, I make it slightly thick so It doesn't run in the plate.
3. In Chettinad cooking shallots( small onion aka pearl onion) are used instead of onions, if shallots are available please use shallots as it has it's own distinctive flavor.

*As the natural lighting was poor couldn't take better picture, will update soon...

Karunai Kizhangu Kuzhambu / Tamarind Yam Curry

Karunai Kizhangu Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Yam / Karunai Kizhangu - 150 gms
Shallots - 20 nos or Onion - 1 no
Garlic cloves - 4 nos
Tomato - 1 no
Curry leaves - few
Tamarind - small lemon or gooseberry sized
Red chilly powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup + 3/4 cup
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds / vendhayam - pinch
Gingely oil / Nalennai - 3 tbsp

Yam Curry

Method
1. Mince onion, garlic and curry leaves together, chop tomato and set aside.
2. Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup water and extract pulp.
3. Peel yam skin, wash and dice into large cubes, pressure cook cubed yams in cooker for 2 or 3 whistles, allow to cool.
4. Heat gingely oil in a deep kadai, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
5. When mustard seeds splutter add minced onion, garlic and curry leaves, saute for a minute.
6. Add chopped tomatoes and stir fry for a minute. Now add tamarind extract to the kadai.
7. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and a 3/4 cup of water.
8. Bring the gravy to boil, add cooked yam to gravy, simmer gravy on low heat for 10 to 12 mins or until yam curry has thickened and oil floats on top.
Serve with hot
Steamed rice
Cabbage Poriyal

Chefs tip
1. You can use 1 and 1/2 tsp tamarind paste instead of tamarind.
Dilute tamarind paste in 1/4 cup water and use in the recipe.
2. I like yam to be very soft and mushy in the curry, if you want yam to be tender pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Chettinad Kulambu

Rava Fish Fry / Meen Varuval

Ravai Meen Varuval

Ingredients
Fish any variety - 500 gms( I used basa fish fillet boneless n skinless)
Rava / Semolina - 4 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1 tsp
Oil to shallow fry fish pieces.

Rava Fish Fry

Method
1. In a bowl mix together red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, lemon juice, salt and water, make a smooth paste.
2. Add fish pieces to the bowl and coat gently with masala paste, set aside for at least 15 mins.
3. Before frying sprinkle rava on marinated fish pieces and coat well.
4.  Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the fish pieces in the oil until golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot rava fish fry with
Steamed rice
Fish curry
Rasam.

Chettinad Crispy Fish Fry

Vazhakkai Varuval / Raw Banana Fry

Raw Banana Fry

This is not a usual vazhakkai varuval, this is a chettinad style recipe with a twist.

Ingredients
Raw banana - 1 no
Red chilly powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Fennel powder - 1 tsp
Besan flour / Kadalai maavu - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste
Water - 2 tbsp
Oil - 4 tbsp

Vazhakkai Fry

Method
1. Peel the raw banana, cut into thick slices and soak it in water.
2. In a bowl add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder, besan flour, required salt and 2 tbsp water, mix well to get smooth masala paste.
3. Drain the raw banana slices from water and squeeze gently to remove excess water. Add it to the bowl and coat with masala paste. Set aside for 5 mins.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated raw banana slices and curry leaves to the pan, stir fry until oil is coated on raw banana slices.
5. Sprinkle some water and cook covered raw banana slices until tender on medium heat.
6. Once raw banana slices are cooked, increase heat and fry until both sides of raw banana slices are golden in color and crisp.
Serve hot with
Steamed rice
Vengaya sambar
Rasam

Chefs tips
1. You can either cut raw banana into slices or chop it into cubes.
2. You can either shallow fry raw banana as per above method or deep fry in the oil.

Happy Deepavali 2013

Diwali Sweets and Snacks

Recipe links

Diwali snacks
Besan Murukku - http://myerecipecorner.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/kadalai-maavu-murukku-besan-chakli.html
Nylon Thenkuzhal -http://myerecipecorner.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/arisi-maavu-thenkuzhal-murukku-nylon.html
Ribbon Pakoda - http://myerecipecorner.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/ribbon-pakoda-ribbon-murukku-diwali.html

Diwali Sweets
Soan ladoo - http://myerecipecorner.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/soan-ladoo-recipe-chana-dal-laddu-recipe.html
Maida cake -http://myerecipecorner.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/maida-cakemaida-burfi.html
7 cup Burfi -http://myerecipecorner.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/7-cup-burfi-seven-cup-sweet.html

Peas Kurma - Side dish for Chapati

Peas Kurma aka Pattani Kurma is my family's all time favorite side dish for chapati. Also suitable for poori, idiyappam etc.

Peas Kurma

Ingredients
Fresh peas - 1 cup
Onion chopped - 1 no
Tomato chopped - 1 no
Ginger & Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves and coriander leaves - few

Chettinad Peas Kurma

Method
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, when hot add cinnamon stick and chopped onions, saute for few secs.
2. Add ginger & garlic paste to the pan, saute till raw smell leaves.
3. Next add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and turmeric powder, saute on low heat until tomatoes are cooked.
4. Remove pan from heat, allow onion & tomato mixture to cool and grind to fine paste along with grated coconut.
5. Wipe the same pan and return pan to heat, add 1 tbsp oil and fresh peas to the pan, saute peas for few mins.
6. Now add the ground gravy paste to the peas, add 1/4 cup water and required salt.
7. Stir well everything and bring gravy to boil, simmer gravy on low heat until slightly thickens.
8. Garnish with coriander, curry leaves.
Serve hot with
Chapati
Poori
idiyappam

Pattani Kurma

Chef's tips
1. You can also use dried green peas instead of fresh peas. Soak dried peas overnight in water. Boil peas along with few pinch of cooking soda until tender. Drain peas from water and add to the recipe.
2. You can also use Coconut milk instead of fresh coconut.

Tomato Chutney / Thakkali Chutney - Bachelor Recipes

Thakkali Chutney

A very easy recipe to make tomato chutney with few ingredients. This chutney can be stored outside at normal room temperature for 4 to 5 days, perfect to take during travels and picnics. If the chutney is refrigerated can be stored upto 2 months.

Ingredients
Tomato medium sized - 1/2 kg or 7 nos
Onion medium sized - 1/4 kg or 2 to 3 nos
Garlic cloves peeled - 6 to 8 nos
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 and 1/4 tsp or as required
Oil - 1/4 cup

Tomato Chutney

Method
1. Chop tomatoes, onions and garlic cloves coarsely.
2. In a large mixi jar first grind chopped onions and garlic cloves to a paste, then add tomatoes, red chilli powder and turmeric powder to jar and grind along with onion mixture.
3. Take a heavy bottomed pan with tight lid( I prefer to use pressure pan with lid), heat 1/4 cup oil in the pan, carefully add the ground tomato onion purée to the pan. Stir well.
4. Reduce heat and cover pan with lid ( otherwise the tomato purée will splutter outside and whole kitchen will become messy), stir the tomato chutney occasionally.
5. The whole cooking process of tomato chutney will take about 15 mins, when the tomato chutney is cooked for about 10 mins, add salt to the tomato chutney and stir well.
6. Cook until chutney is thickened and oil oozes on the sides of pan( chutney should have turned deep red in color).
7. Cool the tomato chutney at room temperature and store in clean jar or box.
Serve with
Idli
Dosa
Chapati etc

Tomato Chutney- Bachelor Recipes

Chef's tip
1. If you want tomato chutney to be chunky avoid grinding tomatoes, onions and garlic and chop them finely. ( this method of finely chopping also helps chutney from spluttering outside pan).
2. Do not reduce amount of oil, lots of oil acts as preservative and keep chutney fresh for long.
3. While stored in jar, oil will float above chutney before consumption stir well the chutney and use.

Kathirikai Sadam / Brinjal Rice

Chettinad Kathirikai Sadam

Ingredients
Small purple brinjals - 8 nos
Raw rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
Onion medium sliced - 1 no or Shallots - 10 nos
Tomato small chopped - 1 no
Curry leaves - few
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon - 2" piece
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp( preferably Gingely oil)
Water - 3 cups

Masala powder to grind
Coconut grated - 4 tbsp
Channa dal - 2 tbsp
Whole dry chilli - 3 to 4 nos
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - pinch
Salt - 1/4 tsp

Kathirikai Sadam

Method
1. Wash rice and soak it in water for half an hour.
2. Dry roast ingredients given under masala powder separately in a pan and grind it along with coconut until finely ground.
3. Chop brinjal into thick slices, mix sliced brinjals and ground masala powder in a bowl.
4. Heat oil in a deep pan, when oil is hot add mustard seeds and cinnamon stick, allow mustard seeds to splutter.
5. Add sliced onions and curry leaves to the pan, sauté for few mins.
6. Now Add brinjals along with masala powder to the pan, sauté well until oil is well coated on brinjals and it turns color.
7. Next add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, required salt and few tbsp water to the pan, stir the brinjals gently until a slight gravy is formed.
8. Cover pan with lid, reduce heat and cook brinjals until 3/4th cooked.
9. Add 3 cups water to the pan, increase heat and bring gravy to boil.
10. When gravy starts boiling add drained rice, stir gently so brinjals doesn't break, cover pan again with lid, reduce heat and cook rice for 10 to 12 mins until tender.
Serve hot with
Curd Pachadi
Potato Roast
Applam etc

Brinjal Rice Recipe

Kadalai maavu chutney - Sidedish for Idli Dosa Poori

Kadala Maavu Chutney

Kadalamavu chutney aka Bombay chutney is a very easy chutney which can be prepared very quickly, it requires no vegetables and best sidedish for chapati, poori, idli and dosa.

Ingredients
Kadalai maavu / Chickpea flour / Besan - 1/4 cup
Onion medium sized sliced - 1 no
Ginger minced - 1" piece
Green chilli broken into half - 3 nos
Tomato small sized chopped - 1 no
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves chopped - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds / Sombu - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal / Gramdal - 1 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Water - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Besan Chutney

Method
1. Mix Kadalai maavu, red chilli powder and turmeric powder with 1/4 cup water, mix well everything until smooth and lump free.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and fennel seeds, when mustard splutters add urad dal and channa dal, sauté until dals are golden brown.
3. Add chopped onions, minced ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and tomatoes to the pan, sauté for few mins.
4. Now add 3/4 cup water to the pan, add required salt and bring to boil.
5. Next add the Kadalai maavu mixture to the boiling gravy, stir well continuously, until chutney is blended well.
6. Reduce heat and cook chutney for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.
7. When chutney is cooked and slightly thickened, add coriander leaves and stir well.
Serve hot with
Idli
Dosa
Poori etc

Ennai Urulai Kizhangu Varuval / Crispy Potato Roast

Urulaikizhangu Roast

Ingredients
Potatoes medium sized peeled and cubed - 4 no
Garlic cloves crushed - 2 nos ( optional)
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Asafetida - few pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 4 to 6 tbsp
Salt to taste

Ennai Urulaikihangu

Method
1. Place cubed potatoes in a large pan fill with water and boil on high heat until tender( should not be over-cooked).
2. Drain the potatoes and add to a bowl. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, asafetida and required salt to the potatoes and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, when mustard splutters add masala coated potatoes and curry leaves to the pan.
4. Fry the potatoes on medium heat until golden brown and crisp.
Serve with
Rice
Sambar
Rasam etc

Chettinad Potato Roast

Chef's tip
1. This authentic method of preparing ennai urulaikizhangu Varuval, if you prefer try adding garam masala powder while coating potatoes with spices.
2. To cook potatoes quickly, place cubed potatoes in a microwave safe bowl fill half way with water and microwave for 3 mins, then gently stir potatoes and cook for another 3 mins so they are evenly cooked.

Chicken Sodhi Recipe / Malaysian Sodhi Recipe with Chicken

Sodhi is a Malaysian curry or gravy made with coconut milk. Chettiars who migrated to Malaysia brought back this specialty recipe to Chettinad.

Malaysian Sodhi Recipe with Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken - 250 gms
Onion medium - 1 no
Tomato medium - 1 no
Green chilli - 2 nos
Garlic crushed - 2 nos
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves chopped - few
Thin coconut milk - 2 cups
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tsp

Chicken Sodhi Recipe 

Method
1. Clean and wash chicken pieces, finely chop onions and tomatoes.
2. In a pressure pan add oil, chicken pieces, chopped onion, tomatoes, crushed garlic, whole green chillies, turmeric powder and thin coconut milk.
3. Pressure cook chicken with other ingredients for 8 mins.
4. Once pressure is released remove the pan lid, return pan to heat.
5. Add required salt to chicken sodhi curry and let it boil for 2 mins.
6. Remove pan from heat and finally add thick coconut milk to chicken gravy and garnish with curry leaves.
Serve hot chicken sodhi with Appam, Idli, dosa or steamed rice.

Biryani Gravy Recipe - Side dish for Biryani / Parotta

South Indian prefers plain gravy as side dish for biryani than raita or brinjal curry. This an easy restaurant style gravy      for biryani which is often prepared at our home. This plain curry goes well with parotta, idli, dosa too.

Side Gravy for Biryani

Ingredients
Onion large sized (chopped)- 1 no
Tomato large sized (chopped)- 1 no
Coriander leaves and curry leaves (chopped)- few tbsp
Mint leaves (chopped)- few tbsp
Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Fennel seeds / Sombu - 2 tsp
Whole dry red chilli - 5 nos
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Colves - 4 nos
Cardamom - 2 nos
Grated fresh coconut - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 3 tbsp

Plain Gravy for Biryani

Method
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Reduce heat to medium and add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper, dry red chilli and saute for few secs. Next add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomatoes to the pan and saute until tomatoes are cooked. Now add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, stir everything well for few secs. Remove pan from heat and allow onion mixture to cool.
Grind sauted onion mixture along with chopped mint leaves and grated coconut to a smooth and fine paste.
Add 1 tbsp oil to same pan and return pan to heat. Add the ground masala to the pan and saute for few mins. Add turmeric powder, required salt and 2 cups water to the pan and stir well.
Cover pan with lid and boil the gravy for 5 mins.
Finally garnish gravy with coriander and curry leaves.
Serve hot gravy with parotta, biryani, Idli or dosa.

Biryani Salna

Paneer Milagu Kuzhambu / Paneer Pepper Curry

Chettinad Paneer Milagu Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Fresh paneer - 250 gms
Shallots / small onions - 10 nos
Garlic minced - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Methi seeds / Vendhayam - pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Masala to grind
( grind below ingredients to fine paste)
White pepper corns - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 no
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Cashewnuts - 6 nos

Chettinad Paneer Pepper Curry

Method
1. Shallow fry the paneer cubes in hot oil, drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and methi seeds, when they crackle add onion and garlic, saute for 2 mins.
3. Add ground masala paste to the pan and saute for 3 mins on medium heat.
4. Add turmeric powder, required salt and water to the pan and bring gravy to boil.
5. Add the fried paneer cubes to gravy and cook gravy on low heat for few mins until slightly thickens.
Garnish with curry and coriander leaves and serve.

Chettinad Chicken Biryani / Kozhi Biryani

Chettinad Chicken Biryani

Ingredients
Chicken pieces with bone - 3/4 kg (750 gms)
Basmati rice - 4 cups (740 gms)
Onion large sized (sliced) - 3 nos
Tomato large sized (chopped) - 3 nos
Mint leaves (chopped) - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/4 bunch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Fried cashewnuts - 20 nos
Water - 4 cups
Bay leaves - 2 nos
Oil - 5 to 6 tbsp

Masala to grind
(Grind below ingredients to smooth paste)
Green chilli - 10 nos
Ginger chopped - 2" pieces
Garlic cloves - 8 nos
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Cardamom - 3 nos
Cloves - 6 nos
Water - 1 tsp

Chettinad Kozhi Biryani

Method
1. Marinate chicken pieces with ground masala paste, chopped mint leaves and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
2. Mix 2 cups of coconut milk with 4 cups of water.
3. Soak basmati rice in coconut milk and water mixture for half an hour.
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan with lid, when oil is hot add bay leaves and onions. Saute onions until they are slightly browned.
5. Now add the marinated chicken along with masala & mint leaves to the sauted onions and fry until the chicken turns pale in color.
6. Next add the chopped tomatoes, curd, red chilli powder and rest of turmeric powder to the pan.
7. Saute well until tomatoes are cooked, add few tbsps of water to the pan, stir well everything.
8. When light gravy is formed, reduce heat, cover pan with tight lid and leave chicken to cook in gravy for 10 mins.
9. After 10 mins add coconut milk & water mixture from soaked basmati rice and required salt for making biryani to the gravy.
10. Turn the heat to high and bring the biryani gravy to boil.
11. When gravy starts boiling add soaked basmati rice to the pan and stir well.
12. When 1/2 of water is absorbed by the rice, reduce heat to low, cover pan with tight lid and cook biryani rice until tender.
13. Finally garnish chettinad chicken biryani with coriander leaves and fried cashew nuts.
Serve hot with onion raita, plain salna and boiled egg.

Chef's tips
My grandma and mom used to  prepare biryani with regular raw rice( ponni rice) or with seeraga samba rice. They brought flavors to biryani with hand ground masala, coconut milk and with country chicken but now it had become custom to cook biryani with basmati rice.

You can omit coconut milk and place it with water but coconut milk makes big difference in preparing chettinad style biryani.

While grinding masala paste some prefer to add fennel seeds for more flavor. If you prefer to do so add about 1 tbsp roasted fennel seeds( Sombu).

Chicken Biryani Chettinad Style

Vendakai Kathrikai Varuval / Ladies Finger Brinjal Fry

Kathirikai Vendakkai Varuval

Ingredients
Ladies finger / Okra chopped - 1 cup
Brinjal chopped - 1 cup
Onion small sized sliced - 1 no
Garlic crushed - 2 nos
Tomato small sized chopped - 1 no
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - few

Chettinad Kathirikai Vendakkai Varuval

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped ladies finger, brinjal, onion, garlic, tomato and curry leaves, saute for 2 mins.
2. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and few tbsp water yo the pan, stir fry for few mins.
3. Reduce heat, cover pan and cook vegetables until tender.
4. Remove lid and stir fry veggies on high heat until dry.
Serve hot with
Steamed Rice
Sambar
Rasam

Ladies finger Brinjal Fry

Chettinad Vazhakkai Masala - Raw Banana Masala - Plantain Curry

Vazhakkai Masala

Ingredients
Plantain / Raw Banana - 1 no
Small onion chopped - 5 nos
Tomato small chopped - 1 no
Green chilli slit - 2 nos
Garlic cloves sliced - 1 to 2 nos
Red chiili powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry and Coriander leaves - few

For Coconut Masala
Grated fresh coconut - 1/4 cup
Sombu / Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Chettinad Plantain Masala

Method
1. Grind fresh coconut with sombu to smooth paste by adding few tbsp water.
2. Peel the plantain, cut into cubes and soak it in water to avoid discoloring.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow to crackle.
4. Add cubed plantain, chopped onion, tomato, green chilli and garlic to the pan, saute for 3 mins.
5. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and required salt to the pan, saute for 1 more minute.
6. Add little water to the pan, reduce heat and cook plantain until tender.
7. Finally add ground coconut paste to the pan stir fry until plantain curry is semi thick.
Garnish with curry and coriander leaves.
Serve Vazhakkai Masala with Steamed rice
Puli Kuzhambu
Rasam

Raw Banana Masala